"Endurance" exercise ages the vascular system of males by more than a decade

haidut

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A very interesting study, though I don't really agree with its findings that while "endurance" (in this case running) exercise damages male vascular system it is beneficial for the female one. The majority of intervention studies that looked at both sexes, across all age groups found that chronic "endurance" exercise leads to vascular calcification and thus cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the long run, regardless of sex, for people older than 40. The most likely culprit for this vascular aging is the elevated baseline cortisol that most endurance athletes have been shown to have. Cortisol, in higher concentrations, activates the mineralocorticoid receptors, and acts similarly to aldosterone - a known cause of vascular stiffness/calcification.

Endurance exercise could impact body's largest artery differently in men and women

"...Researchers from this group had previously developed a method of calculating vascular age, which estimates the age of arteries based on their stiffness. Stiffer arteries are associated with an increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, in non-athletes - but the impact on the cardiovascular health of athletes is not known."

"...The team discovered that for older male athletes, their aortas were stiffer and, on average, 9.6 years older than their chronological age. However, for female athletes, the vascular age of their aorta was around the same as their chronological age. They also investigated the vascular age of different sections of the aorta. Researchers found the greatest difference in the descending aorta, which is the section of the aorta that runs through the chest. For male athletes, this was on average 15 years older than their chronological age. But for female athletes, it was, on average, six years younger."

"...“Our research showed that in masters athletes, the aorta is generally stiffer in men and their vascular age is therefore older. But for women, we saw a surprisingly opposite finding, as some areas of their aorta were several years younger than their chronological age. “In non-athletes, aortic stiffening is associated with heart and circulatory diseases. How this finding applies to potential risk in athletes is not yet fully understood, so more work will be needed to help identify who could be more at risk.”"
 

scoobydoo

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This seems very much dose dependent
It is very well known that zone 2 lower intensity cardio is a powerful therapy for improving mitochondrial function and athletes have the highest performing mitochondrial as shown in muscle biopsies.
Unless it’s chronic exercise at a high intensity it seems to benefit people from a caddiometabolic level.
 

joaquin

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Cortisol serves a purpose. In its right proportions, as God designed the body, it is helpful. Only when it is out of its normal range does it present a problem.
 

Coderr

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This seems very much dose dependent
It is very well known that zone 2 lower intensity cardio is a powerful therapy for improving mitochondrial function and athletes have the highest performing mitochondrial as shown in muscle biopsies.
Unless it’s chronic exercise at a high intensity it seems to benefit people from a caddiometabolic level.
What do you think about Hiit?
 

Perry Staltic

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This seems very much dose dependent

Exactly. Well-phrased. I'm sure long-term extreme endurance exertion can be damaging, but no one will ever convince me that moderate endurance exercise is harmful. A relative of mine whose brother and father died from heart disease was swimming a half mile per day well into his 80s.
 

tankasnowgod

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A very interesting study, though I don't really agree with its findings that while "endurance" (in this case running) exercise damages male vascular system it is beneficial for the female one. The majority of intervention studies that looked at both sexes, across all age groups found that chronic "endurance" exercise leads to vascular calcification and thus cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the long run, regardless of sex, for people older than 40. The most likely culprit for this vascular aging is the elevated baseline cortisol that most endurance athletes have been shown to have. Cortisol, in higher concentrations, activates the mineralocorticoid receptors, and acts similarly to aldosterone - a known cause of vascular stiffness/calcification.

Endurance exercise could impact body's largest artery differently in men and women

"...Researchers from this group had previously developed a method of calculating vascular age, which estimates the age of arteries based on their stiffness. Stiffer arteries are associated with an increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, in non-athletes - but the impact on the cardiovascular health of athletes is not known."

"...The team discovered that for older male athletes, their aortas were stiffer and, on average, 9.6 years older than their chronological age. However, for female athletes, the vascular age of their aorta was around the same as their chronological age. They also investigated the vascular age of different sections of the aorta. Researchers found the greatest difference in the descending aorta, which is the section of the aorta that runs through the chest. For male athletes, this was on average 15 years older than their chronological age. But for female athletes, it was, on average, six years younger."

"...“Our research showed that in masters athletes, the aorta is generally stiffer in men and their vascular age is therefore older. But for women, we saw a surprisingly opposite finding, as some areas of their aorta were several years younger than their chronological age. “In non-athletes, aortic stiffening is associated with heart and circulatory diseases. How this finding applies to potential risk in athletes is not yet fully understood, so more work will be needed to help identify who could be more at risk.”"

It reminds me of that Bill Hicks bit (which was stolen by Dennis Leary) about Jim Fixx, the famous jogging guy. He wrote books on jogging, and dropped dead of a massive heart attack when he was jogging-


Fixx died on July 20, 1984 at age 52 of a heart attack, during his daily run on Vermont Route 15 in Hardwick.[1] The autopsy, conducted by Vermont's chief medical examiner, Dr. Eleanor McQuillen, revealed that atherosclerosis had blocked one coronary artery 95%, a second 85%, and a third 70%.[4][5]


A MIDDLE-AGED RUNNER had embossed on his T-shirt the statement: "You haven't really run a good marathon unless you drop dead at the finish line," recalls Dr. Edward Colt, medical director for five years of the New York City marathon. One week later, this runner ran what must be considered, by his own standards, the perfect marathon: he dropped dead of an excruciatingly painful heart attack.

Last weekend another middle-aged runner died under tragic circumstances, trudging along a solitary Vermont back road. This runner was Jim Fixx, the 52-year-old author, lecturer and all-round guru on long-distance running.

I've always thought Marathons were especially stupid. According to myth, the first marathon was run by Pheidippides, who ran 26.2 miles, and then proceeded to drop dead. Why do people want to re-create an event that apparently killed the first person to do it?
 

Lollipop2

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According to myth, the first marathon was run by Pheidippides, who ran 26.2 miles, and then proceeded to drop dead. Why do people want to re-create an event that apparently killed the first person to do it?
Interesting myth…wonder if it is true. I am going to search for where the marathon distance came about.
 

yerrag

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It is very well known that zone 2 lower intensity cardio is a powerful therapy for improving mitochondrial function and athletes have the highest performing mitochondrial as shown in muscle biopsies.
This is bonkers.

I used to follow this and I felt stupid running at a pace that an old man would pass me by walking.

I was wearing a Polar chest strap with a Polar watch to keep me in that zone.

This was long ago. Then Gina Kolata, a NYT sports science reporter, asked where this formula came from and found out the formula wasn't meant to be used this way. I bought her book and she explained it.

So out went my Polar chest strap. I didn't like it anyway as I never got used to it. I would just run like Forrest Gump after that.
 

yerrag

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Cortisol serves a purpose. In its right proportions, as God designed the body, it is helpful. Only when it is out of its normal range does it present a problem.
All hormones serve a purpose.

Cortisol is a stress hormone. Ray would rather have stress hormone at a minimum. Zero, if possible. But with cortisol it's not possible. So what is normal would depend on who believes what. I suppose carnivores would have a higher value for normal than for Peatarians.
 

OccamzRazer

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I used to follow this and I felt stupid running at a pace that an old man would pass me by walking.
How long did you follow this protocol?

Over the course of months and years one can become super efficient - and quite fast - within 'zone 2.'
 

yerrag

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How long did you follow this protocol?

Over the course of months and years one can become super efficient - and quite fast - within 'zone 2.'
It was years.

Even if what you say can happen, it's still based on a wrong application of a formula based on a study.

Have strap and watch. Need to sell to the health conscious market. Slap a formula and then market it. Go go go.
 

OccamzRazer

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It was years.

Even if what you say can happen, it's still based on a wrong application of a formula based on a study.

Have strap and watch. Need to sell to the health conscious market. Slap a formula and then market it. Go go go.
Okay fair enough. Interesting that more adaptation did not happen.

An easier way to approximate the upper bound of zone 2 is to simply breathe through your nose while exercising.
 

yerrag

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Okay fair enough. Interesting that more adaptation did not happen.
The thought then was that was the zone where maximal fat burning occurs. Now it's been refashioned into being the zone that involves the mitochondria.

At the rate I'm running, I might as well walk and I would get very much the same outcome. Which is no lactic acid would be produced.

Most mitochondrial activity as stated would still well with both camps. One camp the fat burning camp the other the sugar burners.

Product doesn't change. Same wrong formula. A little change in marketing and support material.

But I don't know how I would be doing any adapting as I'm not in any way stressing myself to cause any adaptation.

An easier way to approximate the upper bound of zone 2 is to simply breathe through your nose while exercising.
Thanks. How do you explain the method?
 

Herbie

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It reminds me of the cycling craze where they ride very far in spandex.

There was a cafe which had big pictures of cyclists and one had the absent gaze, It always stood out to me that they thought the photo was good enough to put there with someone in that state of health.
 
B

Blaze

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A very interesting study, though I don't really agree with its findings that while "endurance" (in this case running) exercise damages male vascular system it is beneficial for the female one. The majority of intervention studies that looked at both sexes, across all age groups found that chronic "endurance" exercise leads to vascular calcification and thus cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the long run, regardless of sex, for people older than 40. The most likely culprit for this vascular aging is the elevated baseline cortisol that most endurance athletes have been shown to have. Cortisol, in higher concentrations, activates the mineralocorticoid receptors, and acts similarly to aldosterone - a known cause of vascular stiffness/calcification.

Endurance exercise could impact body's largest artery differently in men and women

"...Researchers from this group had previously developed a method of calculating vascular age, which estimates the age of arteries based on their stiffness. Stiffer arteries are associated with an increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, in non-athletes - but the impact on the cardiovascular health of athletes is not known."

"...The team discovered that for older male athletes, their aortas were stiffer and, on average, 9.6 years older than their chronological age. However, for female athletes, the vascular age of their aorta was around the same as their chronological age. They also investigated the vascular age of different sections of the aorta. Researchers found the greatest difference in the descending aorta, which is the section of the aorta that runs through the chest. For male athletes, this was on average 15 years older than their chronological age. But for female athletes, it was, on average, six years younger."

"...“Our research showed that in masters athletes, the aorta is generally stiffer in men and their vascular age is therefore older. But for women, we saw a surprisingly opposite finding, as some areas of their aorta were several years younger than their chronological age. “In non-athletes, aortic stiffening is associated with heart and circulatory diseases. How this finding applies to potential risk in athletes is not yet fully understood, so more work will be needed to help identify who could be more at risk.”"
One lone variable (in this case endurance exercise) and it's relationship to aortic stiffening would be exceedingly hard to determine as causative or even contributory to that pathology as a virtual multitude of other factors that can cause that rigidity are not being accounted for. No offense intended, I would discard that study as having little value.
The only way to do a group study like that and have reliable data would be to lock up a team of patients and put them on the same dietary regimen and when all other parameters are the same, then vary the exercise over a long term then observing any pathology. Unrealistic , though, I admit that a study like I describe would even be done in today's day and age .
 
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yerrag

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One lone variable (in this case endurance exercise) and it's relationship to aortic stiffening would be exceedingly hard to determine as causative or even contributory to that pathology as a virtual multitude of other factors that can cause that rigidity are not being accounted for. No offense intended, I would discard that study as having little value.
The only way to do a group study like that and have reliable data would be to lock up a team of patients and put them on the same dietary regimen and when all other parameters are the same, then vary the exercise over a long term then observing any pathology. Unrealistic , though, I admit that a study like I describe would even be done in today's day and age .
It's not a study I would discard, but being aware of its limitations would be useful in that it would lead to further studies that would further strengthen the conclusion of this study or weaken it.

I also feel we do not necessarily have to have 100% certainty in order to find a hypothesis or theory useful. This is especially true in the art of healing, which is not really a science as there is so much Talmudist wizardry mixed in anyway. By using our minds well, which with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that uncertainty is manageable.
 

yerrag

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What is zone 2?
My search would say it's a step up from being at rest. And I think it's a good way of describing it, from my experience running slower than slow-mo when following the programming of the Polar watch I had.
 

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